


the sun is here to stay

by rikli



Category: VIXX
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:34:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4923316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikli/pseuds/rikli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buying a house was a good investment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the sun is here to stay

**Author's Note:**

> somebody asked for newly wed neo moving into their new house so i made it a prequel to [neighbor au](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4689908) hehe

 

"The reason the house is this cheap is because the owners want to sell it as fast as possible," the agent said. "They're moving to another city. They don't even intend to take all the furniture with them. It's a great deal."  


Hakyeon hummed, looking around the living room. Indeed, it was fully furnished. There was a table with a set of chairs, and a big sofa next to the fireplace. It looked comfortable. Even though the room was cleared of any personal items, with no curtains in the vast windows, it seemed like making it cozy would be an easy task.  


They had their own furnishings, but it was mostly the old stuff they got from family and friends. Getting whatever the previous owners were leaving behind was definitely going to be an upgrade.  


"The kitchen is fairly new," the agent continued, leading them further into the house. "You can tell it's been used before purely by the stove."  


It was Taekwoon who inspected the white cabinets. Since it was him who cooked the most, Hakyeon was going to leave judging the place to his fiancé. Taekwoon studied the appliances– there was an oven built into the cupboard. He smiled; it was high enough for him not to crouch on the floor.  


Hakyeon looked through the window above the sink. It let some light into the kitchen, but not that much. Right outside of it stood a house, with a similar looking window.  


"Does anyone live in there?" asked Hakyeon.  


"Currently, no," the agent replied. "It's not easy to sell a house in this part of the city."  


Hakyeon sighed. He was both relieved and disappointed. He was looking forward to meet the neighbors, but on the other hand it meant having more privacy for the time being.  


Moving his hand over the island's countertop, Taekwoon nodded at Hakyeon. It seemed he liked it. The agent took it as a signal to move to another room.  


The stairs were made of similar dark wood as the kitchen's floor. They didn't creak when they climbed them to reach the second floor. The only sound was the thump of their steps.  


There were two bedrooms there, and a spacious bathroom, with both bathtub and an all-glass, floor shower. The floor of the bathroom was black, and the walls deep blue with white tiles. All three of Taekwoon's favorite colors. It was modern but welcoming.  


Hakyeon barely listened to what the agent had to say, to busy gauging Taekwoon's reaction. By the look on his face, Hakyeon guessed it might be the last house they were seeing.  


The main bedroom was big, or that was the first impression it made with no furniture inside.  


"This is the only empty room, as the owners took the bed and other furnishings with them. Except for the built in closet, of course." She pointed at the light cream set of doors running along the length of one of the walls. In the middle, one of the sliding parts was a mirror. If you set the bed against the opposite wall, it could give a full-on reflection.  


Feeling himself flush, Hakyeon turned around, just in time to see Taekwoon getting down on the floor. He lied where Hakyeon imagined the bed would be and looked up at the ceiling. The whole room was painted a darker shade of cream; it reminded Hakyeon of the color of cappuccino. They could go either with a dark-framed bed to match the floor or with something light to match the walls and the closet. The only other determinant was going to be the size of the bed– they both agreed on king-sized one.  


"I like it," Taekwoon said, craning his neck to meet Hakyeon's gaze. "What do you think?"  


Hakyeon glanced at Taekwoon, a smile breaking across his face, and went to pull him up from the floor. "It's better than I expected," he said truthfully. "It should fit into our budget."  


With their own savings, the money they were getting as wedding gifts, and not too big of a loan, they should be able to pull it through. There was no point in renting an apartment in the city, especially after they marry, and keep wasting their money on the rent. Buying a house was a good investment.  


They talked all the details downstairs, with Taekwoon still looking around curiously. Hakyeon promised to give his final answer by tonight, and then they said their goodbyes.  


After starting the car, Hakyeon broke into a chuckle. He could see Taekwoon blinking up at him questioningly form the passenger seat with the corner of his eyes.  


"Don't you think," Hakyeon started, trying to speak over the laugh bubbling up his throat. "That you should take care of the driving license now?"  


Taekwoon huffed, pulled at the seatbelt, and looked away. "It's not like you can't drive me," he said. Hakyeon could hear the pout in his voice. If he wasn't driving, Hakyeon would kiss him.  


"To work? To the shop?" Hakyeon asked. "Oh, to the movies? Everywhere?" He loved to tease Taekwoon.  


There was a speed bump Hakyeon hadn't noticed, and the car jumped.  


Taekwoon shouted in surprise, and slapped Hakyeon's arm. "Be careful!"  


The light was red at the crossing, and Hakyeon reached for Taekwoon, pulling him closer by the chin, to kiss him briefly.  


"I'll take you anywhere," Hakyeon promised, kissing him one last time. "Don't worry."  


Taekwoon relaxed after that. He slumped down his seat, and, after a moment, started to talk about the house, making little suggestions. Hakyeon let him speak, only humming in agreement.  


They called their parents when they got home, to talk the details, and by the evening Hakyeon confirmed the purchase with the agent. With the wedding in two weeks, the move made everything all the more exciting.

  


~*~  


 

They moved into the house two days before the big day.  


Most of their things were still at their old apartment. Hongbin and Wonsik were going to help with it the next day. So with two fully stuffed suitcases, they settled in the guest room; their new bed wasn't there yet.  


"It feels like cheating," Hakyeon said. He was looking for their pajamas. "Moving before the wedding."  


Taekwoon found both in his suitcase. Since they took a shower before coming, tired and sweaty after packing the last boxes, they changed into them right away.  


The guest bed was narrow. Hakyeon sighed. Taekwoon knew he was going to complain tomorrow morning about his aching body, as the bed was obviously too small to fit them both.  


"Nothing is going to change," Taekwoon reassured Hakyeon, dragging him to the bed.  


Hakyeon stiffened, looking at him indignantly. Taekwoon opened his mouth to say something more, and then closed them, mulling over the words. It hadn't sounded good, had it?  


Tentatively, Taekwoon touched Hakyeon's shoulders. To his relief, Hakyeon didn't pull away.  


"Nothing is going to change between us," he tried again. "It's another promise." He smiled, rubbing over Hakyeon's collarbones with his thumbs. "Just more definite this time."  


It only took this much for Hakyeon to beam at him again. "You got me worried for a second," he said playfully. It only took this much for Hakyeon to scoot closer, and to start playing with the buttons of Taekwoon's shirt. "That you don't care that much."  


Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon wrists, and squeezed them tightly. He could feel Hakyeon's pulse beneath his fingers, drumming, running fast through his veins. The air around them was still for a while, but it all broke when Taekwoon pushed Hakyeon to the bed. He hovered above him, the hold on Hakyeon's wrists loosening, but still there.  


"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Taekwoon said simply. Hakyeon tried to pull himself up and meet Taekwoon halfway when he leaned down to kiss him.  


Taekwoon was determined to take it slow, but Hakyeon was being persistent with his mouth. He pushed his tongue past Taekwoon's lips, gasped into the kiss when Taekwoon responded at once.  


"More cheating, doing this before the wedding," Hakyeon whispered, moving his lips to Taekwoon's ear. His hands were free now, and he helped Taekwoon climb onto the bed properly, to settle between his legs. "And your last chance to fuck me."  


They were far on their way to undress, with Taekwoon's fingers hooked on the waistband of Hakyeon's bottoms, but Taekwoon stopped, the pants barely making it down his ass.  


"W-what?" Taekwoon stammered, dumbfound. Was there something he didn't know? He searched Hakyeon's eyes, waiting for an answer.  


Hakyeon released his lip from between his teeth, and grinned. "Because I am going to fuck you on the wedding night."  


If it was even possible, Taekwoon's eyes widened even more. All these past months, Hakyeon had wanted to bottom most of the time. Taekwoon liked both, and he really liked when Hakyeon took care of him, but he hadn't minded sticking to one way. With Hakyeon, it always felt good, whatever they did. But now, it just didn't sum up.  


It only made sense after Hakyeon spoke up again. "I might have done it all on purpose," he confessed. His hands slipped from around Taekwoon's neck, making their way to the buttons of his own shirt. "So, you see, things are going to change after all."  


Ridiculous. It sounded ridiculous, and Hakyeon was probably insane, so all Taekwoon could do was laugh. "Ridiculous," he mumbled, out loud this time, cupping Hakyeon's cheeks, and pressing a smile against Hakyeon's lips.  


It ended with Taekwoon sucking Hakyeon off, fast and dirty, since there was one thing they had forgotten to bring– lube.

  


~*~  


 

They woke up early the next morning, muscles stiff and still tired. When they got to their old apartment Wonsik and Hongbin weren’t there yet. Not wanting to waste any time, they started to carry the boxes down.  


The trunk was almost full when Hongbin's old sedan parked on the other side of the street; there wasn't any free space in front of their building. It was Wonsik who got out of the car, and only him.  


"Hongbin couldn't make it," Wonsik said. He picked a small box off the ground, and put it on top of the pile in the trunk. "The clinic is busy today."  


"Don't worry." Hakyeon patted Wonsik on his back. They didn't have that much stuff, and three people were enough to handle it. "I'm going to make him do the speech tomorrow."  


Wonsik laughed. "He won't be able to kill you at your own wedding, I suppose."  


All three of them made their way up the stairs. The bedroom was almost empty; all that had remained were the beddings, put into a big trash bag. That left them with an unimpressive amount of kitchen appliances, a box of DVDs from the living room, and the DVD set itself.  


"As much as I appreciate your sister giving us their old set," Hakyeon said to Taekwoon, looking at the big screen. It was black and dead. "Moving it is going to be a real pain."  


Taekwoon snorted, then stumbled a bit; the cable from the microwave was dangling around his legs. He went out of the apartment without a word.  


Wonsik picked one of the ink blue pillows from the sofa. "These are yours, right?" Hakyeon nodded, in his mind already trying to remember what they had done with the original packaging for the set. "Okay, we're going to use them as buffers."  


It took Hakyeon a while to figure out the hideout of the big, flat box– it was under their old bed. Then he just put it over the TV, and waited for the others to help him. The TV screen was big enough for Hakyeon to need a little help.  


When they secured the box on the rear seats of Hongbin's car, the pillows set between it and the door; it was the time to go. They set off a good forty minutes after noon, with Hakyeon going first, and Wonsik in tow.  


"I hope they deliver our favorite pizza there," Hakyeon said. The roads were busy, and he moved his hands over the steering wheel restlessly. "I'm starving."  


They needed to forget about the pizza for a while, though– the boxes wouldn't carry themselves into the house. By the time they finished, Hakyeon was whining out loud. Looking at Taekwoon's face, he was sure his soon-to-be husband felt exactly the same.  


"Please," Hakyeon whispered, with the phone pressed to his ear.  


Turned out, their street was the last one within the delivery area. They were going to get it but it was going to take a while.  


None of them had the strength to start unpacking the boxes. The wait turned into a lazy conversation, three tired bodies sprawled over the sofa. Wonsik was set on tormenting Taekwoon with after marriage anecdotes. At one point, Hakyeon had to stop Taekwoon from chasing Wonsik around the living room. It was all fun until Wonsik brought up something that had to do with Hakyeon, and it was Hakyeon's turn to lunge at their friend.  


What saved Wonsik was the arrival of their food. The two pizzas were huge, and the three of them gathered around the boxes on the floor. Fortunately, the food wasn't cold yet.  


"Hongbin's loss," Hakyeon said around a mouthful of cheese and meat. Wonsik, the ever-loving boyfriend, agreed.  


They got to the second pizza when Hakyeon's phone vibrated inside his jeans' pocket. He cursed, setting his half-eaten slice down. It was the house interior shop where they bought the bed.  


"They can't deliver it today," Hakyeon sighed, plopping back down, after the call ended. "They want to be here tomorrow's morning, right before the wedding."  


Wonsik grunted sympathetically. The fucked up schedules happened in his company often.  


"We are supposed to be at my sister's at that time," Hakyeon said, showing the rest of the slice into his mouth. "She's going to kill me."  


The whole time, Taekwoon was silently stuffing himself with pizza. It looked like he was barely listening, but before he picked another piece, he spoke.  


"Maybe she could come here?" Hakyeon stopped, considering. "We dress up and go right to the city hall."  


"And they set the bed in the meantime, excellent!"  


Taekwoon smiled, and urged Hakyeon to call up his sister. Only after Hakyeon was done, he noticed that the second pizza was almost gone. Wonsik was already rubbing his stomach, and Taekwoon had enough decency to push one of the two remaining slices towards Hakyeon. Their eyes met over the pizza box.  


"I hope it's not some kind of foreplay." Wonsik grimaced from his spot on the floor.  


Hakyeon didn't even spare him a glance. "You just made it that."  


Wonsik cursed, rolling away from them. He pushed himself up slowly, and eyed them, astound. "You know you're disposing yourself of an additional pair of hands to help you with unpacking, right?"  


"It's going to take at least a week anyway."  


Neither Hakyeon nor Taekwoon moved, and they didn't make any indication they were going to continue, but Wonsik left anyway.  


"We're not going to have sex now," Taekwoon said. It was a statement, not a question.  


"I was thinking about a nap, actually." Hakyeon kicked the boxes away from the sofa, and climbed onto it. "C'mere."  


Taekwoon sighed, following Hakyeon and settling right on top of him. "You kicked Wonsik out for a nap," he muttered. Finding a comfortable position was difficult, and the fake leather whined with Taekwoon's every move.  


"I'm not having sex smelling and tasting like pizza. I keep my loves separate."  


Taekwoon huffed out a laugh, slapped Hakyeon over the hip playfully, and eventually deflated against him. Even with all the tossing and turning, Hakyeon already felt the sleepiness pressing his eyelids shut. He didn't even bother with answering when Taekwoon breathed "gross" against his chest.  


They needed to gather all the strength they could for the big day.  


 

~*~  


 

The nap was good, but it didn't help with the speed of unpacking. They managed to sort out the boxes marked "kitchen", and decided to call it a day. Even the DVD set lies unpacked, and they found Hakyeon's laptop to watch a movie before going to sleep on the too small bed. Hopefully, for the last time.  


But first, washing up was in order.  


"You're not taking a bath?" Taekwoon asked as Hakyeon followed him into the shower.  


"It might sound ridiculous but I'm too tired for it."  


Taekwoon handed him a shampoo, making some room under the spray. Hakyeon, instead of squeezing out the liquid onto his own palm, grabbed Taekwoon's hand, and then turned around. "Would you?"  


As if Taekwoon was going to say no.  


After the shower they ended up discussing the next day over the movie. Even though everything had been planned, there were always some things to worry about.  


"I wish you would let me cut my hair," Taekwoon said, poking Hakyeon with his toes.  


"Hey, I didn't forbid you to cut it! I just said I liked it longer."  


The house was a bit chilly– the heating didn't kick in yet, and it had been a while since someone had used the fireplace. Despite that, Taekwoon preferred to stay barefoot. Hakyeon grabbed Taekwoon's ankles and tugged him closer, until his ass pressed against Hakyeon's thigh. Reaching his hand out, Hakyeon touched the long strands of Taekwoon's fringe.  


"You really look good with it."  


Taekwoon made a face. "If I hate the wedding photos, you're going to pay."  


"Silly." Hakyeon poked Taekwoon's nose. "You won't."  


"What if mother hates them?"  


"Mine or yours?"  


Taekwoon swatted at Hakyeon's head half-heartedly. " _Silly_."  


A loud sound coming from the laptop startled them both, and they looked at the screen, baffled. It was Taekwoon who leaned over to close it.  


They had promised themselves to go to sleep early, but Taekwoon couldn't stop himself from reaching for Hakyeon in the middle of the stairs, and pressing him against the wall. He kissed Hakyeon slowly and somehow tentatively. There were a thousand things Taekwoon wanted to do, and he knew it wasn't the right time, even though Hakyeon's body was more than inviting.  


"I should thank you for yesterday," Hakyeon said, breaking the kiss to press his mouth to Taekwoon's neck. Taekwoon gasped, and braced his hand against the wall. He resisted the urge to lean into Hakyeon. "But I think it might spoil tomorrow's fun."  


Hakyeon run his hands down Taekwoon's hips, dug his fingers in, and then slipped under Taekwoon's arm, sprinting to the bedroom with a laugh.  


Taekwoon let out a groan of frustration, and pushed himself off the wall. And to think he was going to marry this man in a couple of hours. Sometimes, Taekwoon wasn't sure if it was a win or a loss.  


 

~*~  


 

It was definitely a win, Taekwoon thought when they exchanged the rings in front of their family and friends. After the stressful morning, with Hakyeon's sister fretting over Taekwoon's unruly hair and crooked tie, the clatter of men working on their bed upstairs, all Taekwoon had in mind was Hakyeon's smile.  


And before his eyes, too, as Hakyeon beamed at him, and leaned in to kiss him. He made it quick but firm and it still earned them a loud holler from Hongbin. Taekwoon heard Wonsik's sheepish chuckle, and he kissed Hakyeon again– just because he could.  


Hongbin paid them well enough for making him do the speech. He told the infamous story of the campus washhouse and the condoms. Taekwoon was ready to snatch the microphone from Hongbin's hand, just that Hakyeon wouldn't let him, and he ended up hiding his face in Hakyeon's shoulder, embarrassed beyond words. Which was funny, considering it had been Hakyeon washing the condoms by accident, not him.  


"Are we even now?" Hakyeon asked as Hongbin sat down beside him.  


Hongbin grinned. "For what you are going to say on my wedding one day?"  


It made Taekwoon lift his head off Hakyeon's shoulder. "Are you...?"  


Hongbin lifted his hands, almost knocking his glass over. "No! No." He looked away. "Not yet."  


All three of them looked over at Wonsik, who was currently talking with Taekwoon's parents. His forever ruffled hair was neatly styled now. The rich tone of his laugh reached their ears, and Hongbin smiled.  


Taekwoon knew Hongbin wasn't very kin on the idea of getting married. Especially since his parents weren't fond of Wonsik. They weren't fond of Hongbin dating any man for that matter, but at least they stayed out of his hair. They hadn't disowned him either, and kept paying for his studies. Maybe Hongbin was waiting for them to get used to the idea, Taekwoon wasn't sure. It wasn't a topic Hongbin liked to touch.  


They were making it through, though, Hongbin and Wonsik, and that's what mattered.  


Hongbin cleared his throat, the tender smile breaking into a grin again. "We're going to be even tomorrow."  


Taekwoon furrowed his brows. What kind of surprise...?  


"I'm not letting you into my house a day after the wedding, Lee Hongbin."  


Hongbin laughed out loud, pressing a hand to his stomach. "I wouldn't dare. I'll just drop by to give you your wedding gift. Or is it a moving in gift?"  


Still wary of the supposed surprise, Taekwoon asked, "Didn't you give us something already?" He clearly remembered Hakyeon taking something off Wonsik's hands earlier today.  


"Ah," Hongbin said, scratching his chin. "It was from the both of us. I'm giving you something extra."  


It didn't calm Taekwoon's nerves at all, but it wasn't the time to worry about Hongbin's weirdness. And he was sure Hongbin wouldn't do anything bad.  


They made some rounds among the guests. Taekwoon's mother frowned at his hair – no surprise here – and then Hakyeon dragged him to dance. Taekwoon didn't need more embarrassment, but it was hard to say no to Hakyeon, his now husband. The thought made him pliable; he wrapped his hands around Hakyeon's waist on his own accord. The song was slow enough for them to sway a bit and stay focused on each other rather than the move of their feet.  


Hakyeon surprised Taekwoon with his next words. "I wish we could go home already." Taekwoon blinked at him questioningly. "I don't want us to be too tired to try out the bed, you know."  


Taekwoon snorted, astonished. From all the things he might have said, he chose this. Taekwoon was too nervous to even think about it. He also wished for it to end quickly but not because of that; the attention had been on him since morning and it was exhausting.

 

"You're unbelievable," Taekwoon mumbled as he tugged Hakyeon closer. He pressed his cheek against Hakyeon's. "We can go soon if you want."  


It was easier to say without Hakyeon's boring gaze on him. He might not have been thinking about it during the day, but he surely was looking forward to being alone with Hakyeon tonight. And to finally sleep on a proper bed.  


There were enough people willing to close the party in their stead, and nobody held it against them for leaving early. They only teased them, if anything.  


The way back home was quiet, despite the distance. Hakyeon took his tie off on one of the red lights, and Taekwoon did the same. Their shirts were very fitting, tight under their chins, and it felt good to undo a button or two.  


Their house was the same mess they had left; there still were unpacked boxes lying around. Hakyeon was silent, and it only made Taekwoon's insides twist more. They'd had sex countless of times, and yet it felt different.  


Taekwoon scolded himself internally– he was not a teenager anymore.  


The bedroom was probably the messiest room in the house, but at least they'd had time to put on the covers in the morning. Hakyeon didn't let Taekwoon reach the bed, pulling him into a kiss. The familiarity of it made Taekwoon relax.  


"Hey," Hakyeon said, cupping Taekwoon's cheeks. "Are you nervous?"  


Taekwoon sighed, kissed Hakyeon's palm. "I–" His voice, the traitor, broke. He tried again, "I feel tense? A bit..."  


"Is it because it's our wedding night, or because you've missed me fucking you?"  


Of course Hakyeon would have tried to rile Taekwoon up with his bold talk. Instead of answering, Taekwoon kissed Hakyeon again. They took their clothes off unhurriedly; it was familiar territory as well.  


When Hakyeon pushed Taekwoon onto the bed, the first thing Taekwoon noticed was how comfortable it was. But Hakyeon didn't waste his time, and soon distracted Taekwoon by aligning their bodies together, moving them in synch.  


"Did you get–"  


Hakyeon didn't have to finish for Taekwoon to reach under the pillow where he put the lube beforehand. Hakyeon might have been a man of words, but then Taekwoon was a man of action. Hakyeon had made it clear what he wanted tonight, and Taekwoon going along with it wasn't anything new.  


Closing his hand over Taekwoon's, Hakyeon just pressed it to the bed, the lube caught in between. Hakyeon tried to go slow, but his movements were jerky, and Taekwoon smiled into the kiss. Now, who was the nervous one?  


Taekwoon spread his legs easily when Hakyeon squeezed at his thigh. It had been a while, but to Taekwoon it came as easy as breathing. He wriggled his hand out of Hakyeon's grip.  


Hakyeon's lips were red, darker than usual from all the kissing, and they shone, slick with spit. They stretched into a smile, and Taekwoon moved his eyes up, to Hakyeon's dark irises looking at him intently. Only then Hakyeon poured the lube over his fingers, but he didn't start preparing Taekwoon just yet. He wrapped his slicked hand over Taekwoon's cock, dragging his finger painfully slow, the grip too loose.  


This was going to be torture.  


Spreading his legs even further, Taekwoon bucked into the touch. The kissing and Hakyeon's hands on him were enough to make him hard. The anticipation only heightened it. Taekwoon wanted to touch too, but he knew Hakyeon wouldn't let him, not now. It seemed Taekwoon was going to lose control very fast.  


Then there was more lube, and finally, Hakyeon moved his fingers to Taekwoon's entrance. It definitely was a stretch, even with only one finger inside at first. But it was good, and Hakyeon was working on his cock through it all, moving his hand in lazy strokes. He only let go when he was able to easily move three fingers in and out.  


Taekwoon moaned when Hakyeon brushed his fingers against his prostate, and that was enough. He pushed himself away– it'd all became overwhelming, and he needed to catch his breath.  


Hakyeon wouldn't have any of it. "Come back here," he panted, reaching for Taekwoon.  


"Enough," Taekwoon whimpered. He really couldn't go on like this; he would die or, more embarrassingly, come.  


Hakyeon snorted, and crawled over Taekwoon's body. "We are not having the same argument once again."  


For how good the sex had always been for them, they'd kept arguing about it at the beginning of their relationship. What they liked, how they did it– there had always been a reason to disagree. Especially when it came to preparation. From the time's perspective, it was rather silly.  


So it was an old argument, but it seemed it hadn't gone away. But there was something that often worked in Taekwoon's favor; Hakyeon liked to hear him beg.  


"Please," he whimpered. "I can't anymore, please..."  


Hakyeon sighed. He stared at Taekwoon for a brief moment, and then leaned over, kissing him hard and filthy. Their cocks slid together, and Taekwoon gasped into the kiss. It was nerve-wrecking.  


"Please," he begged again. His fingers were digging into Hakyeon's arms, probably leaving bruises. Hakyeon didn't complain.  


"Say it again," Hakyeon murmured. He ran his mouth along Taekwoon's jaw, and sucked at the skin under Taekwoon's ear.  


It elicited a broken moan from Taekwoon. Before he could stop himself, he was pleading again, face flaring in shame. He knew Hakyeon loved it, so he pushed himself to do it whenever Hakyeon wanted him to. And it worked– Hakyeon kissed Taekwoon's burning cheeks, and finally, finally started pushing in.  


The time stopped, a whine catching in Taekwoon's throat, and never making it past it. The stretch was real. Hakyeon was moving with difficulty, his breath heavy and moist against Taekwoon's shoulder. Taekwoon willed himself to relax, to let Hakyeon inside, and propped his feet against the bed, pushing against Hakyeon and urging him in.  


Hakyeon's hand was still slick with lube when he put it on Taekwoon's thigh, pushing it up. It should have felt dirty, but Taekwoon was too focused on the sensation of Hakyeon going all the way in. He instantly circled his hips, determined to stretch himself just like that– with Hakyeon's cock.  


With a curse on his lips, Hakyeon tried to stop Taekwoon, but his hands were too slippery, and he couldn't get a grip of Taekwoon's hips. All he did was to spread more lube everywhere.  


It had become messy pretty quickly.  


Hakyeon made the first thrust, and moaned. "I've really missed it," he said, kissing Taekwoon's knee.  


Taekwoon's "yes" turned into a whimper when Hakyeon started to move in earnest. If Taekwoon had softened some, the pleasure coiled in the pit of his stomach pretty quickly, making him leak precome against his stomach. It joined the mess of lube on his skin, but he couldn't care less.  


It didn't take long for Hakyeon to get tired– the exhaustion of the few past days had taken a toll on him. He leaned over Taekwoon, slowing the pace gradually.  


"Hey," Hakyeon said. It made Taekwoon open his eyes; he had no idea he had closed them in the first place. "Are you okay?"  


_No_. Taekwoon didn't say it out loud, though. He was already so close, and Hakyeon slowing down was the last thing he wanted. He lifted his hands to bring Hakyeon down for a kiss.  


"Yeah," Taekwoon finally answered. He wrapped his legs around Hakyeon, and arched up to him. "Hakyeon, move."  


Taekwoon met Hakyeon halfway when he resumed the previous pace. He wanted to reach to his cock, but if he did, he wouldn't be able to support himself and push back. It was maddening.  


The orgasm caught Taekwoon off-guard; he was sure he would have been cursed to stay on the edge of coming until he touched himself. However, with Hakyeon leaning in closer and closer, the tip of Taekwoon's cock kept brushing against Hakyeon's stomach, and that coupled with the feeling of Hakyeon inside him made it. He was hyper-aware of everything, spent and oversensitive, but he kept moving his hips weakly. When Hakyeon came, he whined contently.  


They were both gross, covered in sweat, lube and come, but Taekwoon didn't have the heart to scold Hakyeon for falling on top of him, and tangling their legs together.  


"I've really, really missed this."  


Taekwoon snorted. "Post-coitus mess?"  


"I must have did a poor job if you're still able to be snarky."  


Hakyeon lifted himself up to look at Taekwoon indignantly after Taekwoon gave him a noncommittal hum.  


"I loved it," Taekwoon answered last. It was worth the brilliant smile he got in return, and the kiss that followed.  


"Taekwoon," Hakyeon cooed, once again lying down. Everything was slick, and now sticky. "Taekwoonie. Husband."  


Being patient had always been a challenge with Hakyeon around. Taekwoon tugged at Hakyeon's hair, but he kept saying it. "Husband. It sounds nice. Hey, husband."  


"Are you going to use it all the time from now on?"  


"You bet I am! And 'I love you'."  


Taekwoon laughed, embarrassed, feeling his face warm up. "You've been saying it enough already."  


"No, no," Hakyeon protested. "I need to remind you all the time because you're too forgetful. Jung Taekwoon, I love you."  


It wasn't that Taekwoon didn't like Hakyeon saying it. What meant more to Taekwoon was Hakyeon constantly showing it. He didn't need to hear the words every day, because he felt it in the way Hakyeon kissed him; he saw it every time Hakyeon smiled at him.  


Taekwoon could only hope Hakyeon was able to see the same in Taekwoon's actions. Saying it as often and freely as Hakyeon did wasn't something Taekwoon was good at. He wouldn't do it in front of other people– Hakyeon didn't care. It was hard to just throw it over breakfast– Hakyeon would do that regularly.  


All Taekwoon could manage were quiet confessions of love when nobody but Hakyeon could hear them.  


"Me, too," he whispered against Hakyeon's hair. "I love you."  


Hakyeon brushed his mouth somewhere below Taekwoon's collarbone. "I know," he said. Taekwoon knew Hakyeon was smiling; his tone was content, happy. "Husband."  


 

~*~  


 

It was a bright new day outside when Taekwoon stirred awake the next morning. Thank God, they'd managed to clean themselves before going to sleep last night. Taekwoon, more than the sex itself, loved to hold Hakyeon close afterwards. It wasn't as pleasant when they were covered in bodily fluids, cooled off and sticky.  


What Taekwoon loved the most, though, were the mornings. Hakyeon's face would be puffy with sleep, and his lips would be slightly parted. Just like now. Taekwoon felt warmth spread inside his chest. The feeling only got stronger when he looked at Hakyeon's left hand peeking from under the covers. The silver band was securely wrapped around his ring finger, new and shiny. Taekwoon smiled; he couldn't be luckier to have Hakyeon.  


It must have been late– it was really bright outside. The room had gotten a little stuffy during the night. It had been too cold to leave it open for the night, but the days could still be quite warm. Taekwoon went to open the window, but it didn't stir Hakyeon awake, he didn't even move. If not for the alarm clock, it was hard to wake Hakyeon up.  


Taekwoon slipped back under the covers and pressed himself close to Hakyeon. He raised Hakyeon's hand and put it on his cheek. The ring was warm, just like the skin of Hakyeon's hand.  


"Hakyeon," Taekwoon said. His voice had always been soft, and it did nothing to rouse Hakyeon from sleep. "Hakyeon," Taekwoon tried louder.  


Surprisingly, it worked. Hakyeon's fingers flexed against Taekwoon's skin, and he croaked his eyes open.  


"Hi," Hakyeon rasped out, his voice heavy with sleep. His hand moved to Taekwoon's lips, touching them lightly, and Taekwoon bit at the pad of Hakyeon's finger playfully. "Ah, is the kitten hungry?" Hakyeon teased, pinching Taekwoon's ear.  


"Mm." Taekwoon didn't even think about complaining about the pet name. He was too happy, and really hungry. "Let's go downstairs."  


 

~*~  


 

Hongbin hadn't lied about visiting them the next day.  


They were slowly unpacking the rest of their things– it was better to do as much as they could now, before getting back to work on Monday. The free time had been nice while it lasted.  


They were taking care of the bedroom and their clothes when the bell rang. Hakyeon had just gone downstairs to fetch something to drink so he was the one to open the door.  


"Oh, I'm glad it's you," Hongbin said.  


Hakyeon ignored the weird comment, his eyes instantly going to the box Hongbin was holding. It was plain brown and didn't look like a present at all.  


Hongbin was shifting from one foot to the other. "Can I come in?"  


"You said you would just drop by," Hakyeon scoffed. Despite his words, he let Hongbin in.  


"And you said you wouldn't let me into your house," Hongbin replied. "But don't worry, I'll be out in a second." He stopped in the hall, and, to Hakyeon's surprise, something inside the box moved.  


"Oh my God," Hakyeon gasped. Hongbin put the box on the floor and slowly opened it. Inside, there was a small kitty. "Oh my God, Hongbin, are you out of your–"  


"Is it Hongbin?" Taekwoon's voice interrupted Hakyeon trying to tell Hongbin what a bad idea it was.  


Hakyeon didn't say anything, but it didn't matter– Taekwoon was already going downstairs. By the time he got to them, the cat managed to climb out of the box, and started to meow at them.  


Taekwoon's "oh my God" had a totally different tone than Hakyeon's. He crouched in front of the kitty, immediately trying to pet it.  


"Somebody left him in front of the clinic," Hongbin explained. "It doesn't happen often but sometimes people feel too guilty to take pets to the shelter. I thought since you moved into a house, you might like to take him in."  


Hakyeon looked at the cat and Taekwoon, who was currently letting it nibble at his fingers. When they had first met, Hakyeon used to be jealous of the way Taekwoon smiled at the animals and little kids. That was how he'd found out he'd fallen in love, and when Taekwoon had started to give him the same kind of smiles, he thought he'd had a chance. Now, even if Taekwoon's crinkled eyes weren't turned on Hakyeon, all his smile did was melt Hakyeon's heart.  


The kitty jumped away from Taekwoon and landed on Hakyeon's feet. Hakyeon bent down to pick up the pet. His fur was ginger and very soft. He had a very bushy tail and bright blue eyes. On an instant, he tried to climb up Hakyeon's leg.  


"I still think you are out of your mind for dropping in a day after the wedding," Hakyeon said, giving the cat back to Taekwoon. "But the cat stays. I hope you have everything for him, though, because I know where to get food for a cat on Sunday, but not the litter and other stuff."  


To Hakyeon's relief, Hongbin nodded. "I'm going to get it from the car."  


And that was how Hakyeon and Taekwoon forgot about the unpacking for the next hour or two, too busy playing with their new cat. Taekwoon followed it through the house, curious of the animal. Hakyeon put the litter box in the toilet downstairs and picked the empty corner of the kitchen for the bowls. The cat found him eventually, and Hakyeon opened the can that Hongbin had brought for him.  


Taekwoon padded into the kitchen, also looking for some food. There was not much inside the fridge as they still hadn't had time to go shopping. It left Taekwoon empty-handed and sulky.  


"We should order some food," Taekwoon said, looking at the noisily eating cat with envy.  


"Need to find something online, then," Hakyeon answered. "We can't keep eating pizza, though."  


Too hungry to wait that long to eat anything, Taekwoon fished out a pack of pretzels from the cabinet, and they went to the living room where Hakyeon's laptop had been left. The cat followed them curiously. He fell asleep on the floor, pressed to the side of the sofa as they looked for a place to order the food from.  


There weren't many restaurants that delivered here, but enough to pick one that both of them could possibly like. The Thai food place they decided on had fairly good opinions, and that's what helped them choose.  


"Have you thought about a name?" Hakyeon asked as he completed their order through the site.  


Taekwoon had already eaten half of the pretzels, and he munched on one for a while before he answered. "I'm not... no, I don't know."  


Hakyeon hummed, relaxing against the armrest. "It doesn't really matter, right? Whatever name we give him, we will get used to it in no time, and it's going to be like it has always been his name."  


Taekwoon laughed. "Doesn't matter?" he repeated, amused. He took another pretzel and looked down at it. "Pretzel?" He reached his hand out towards Hakyeon.  


Hakyeon snatched the pretzel out of Taekwoon's hand and Hakyeon threw it at him. "Everybody would laugh!"  


Taekwoon tried to catch it but it flew past him and landed somewhere behind the sofa. "Ah, you–" He didn't finish, turning around with a huff.  


Hakyeon observed Taekwoon leaning over the opposite armrest, reaching somewhere where the cat had been sleeping. He struggled to push himself back up but he eventually succeeded, with the pretzel in hand. The shadow of irritation disappeared from Taekwoon's face, and now he was looking funnily at the piece of food.  


"Huh," Taekwoon breathed. Once again, he shoved the pretzel in Hakyeon's direction. "It landed on the cat."  


It made Hakyeon laugh out loud. He covered his mouth, tilting his head back. Must have been destiny.  


"Pretzel, it is, then," Hakyeon wheezed between chuckles.  


It made Taekwoon laugh as well. His eyes almost disappeared, and his teeth were showing. Hakyeon looked at Taekwoon – his husband – and he felt the urge to kiss him right then, right there. He was simply too cute.  


This time Hakyeon put the pretzel on the table and leaned over, pushing Taekwoon down. Taekwoon fell on the sofa easily, bringing Hakyeon with him. And there it was, that smile. Hakyeon hesitated for a moment, too caught up with the sight.  


"What," Taekwoon asked. He was licking his lips, the only indication that he might have been a little embarrassed about the attention.  


Hakyeon didn't answer and just kissed him, finally, sighing into it contently. Taekwoon's mouth was wet and salty from the pretzels. Hakyeon broke the kiss to take a breath and lick the saltiness off his lips, and something caught his eye.  


On the floor sat the kitty, looking up at him with its head tilted to the side.  


"This is weird," Hakyeon murmured. "Pretzel is looking at me." His gaze went back to Taekwoon. His eyes were dark, but almost as feline as those of their new pet. "I can't believe I have two cats now."  


"Shut up," Taekwoon groaned and tugged Hakyeon down, back to his lips.  


Hakyeon had no idea if the cat kept watching them but he soon forgot, too occupied with Taekwoon. They kissed and kissed, until they heard the delivery guy ring at the door with their food.  


 

~*~  


 

Taekwoon was pleasantly surprised when the house turned to be very warm. The winter came in no time with its dark afternoons; the first snow fell even before the December started. It made them both lazy, coming home after work only to start the fireplace and settle in front of it.  


It was close to Christmas when Hakyeon brought puzzles home.  


"There's the biggest selection right now," he exclaimed. He moved the coffee table and the fluffy rug aside, making more place to spill the tiny pieces onto the floor.  


"And you picked ones with a cat," Taekwoon said, amused.  


"Because it looks like Pretzel!" Hakyeon pointed at their cat, currently sitting in the hallway, licking its paw.  


Sure, both cats were ginger and had cute pink noses, but Pretzel's tail was still a lot bigger. Hongbin had said he was most probably a Maine Coon mix.  


Pretzel didn't even spare them a glance as he went into the kitchen, probably looking for food. Good thing Taekwoon had put some in his bowl earlier.  


They started to flip the puzzles front up. It took them a while – it had one thousand and five hundred pieces – and Taekwoon went to make them some tea before they started to set the frame up. He was looking through their tea collection, wondering if he should ask Hakyeon about his preference, when suddenly all the lights went out.  


This had never happened before.  


Taekwoon heard Hakyeon saying something from the living room, but he got distracted by the sight outside the window. It was hard to distinguish the house next to theirs because of the snow falling heavily from the sky. The flakes were big, and they were flowing thickly, blocking the view almost completely.  


"Hakyeon!" Taekwoon raised his voice so Hakyeon could hear him. "Where is the flashlight?"  


It sounded like Hakyeon had gotten closer when he answered. "It was broken, I threw it away."  


Anger rose inside Taekwoon; and he let out an exasperated sigh.  


"Why didn't you buy a new one, Hakyeon, I told you–"  


"We lost the list, remember?" Ah, the list they had made when they were moving. They'd gotten rid of some old stuff and had written down all they needed to buy. It'd gotten lost on the way; the flashlight must have been one of the things they'd forgotten about for good. "I'm sorry, I'd have–" There was a loud thump coming from the hallway. "Scoot, Pretzel!"  


On top of everything, Hakyeon had most probably trampled their cat just now. Taekwoon lost his temper quickly, and it was Hakyeon who was the more composed between the two of them, able to calm Taekwoon down with ease. But with darkness surrounding them, Hakyeon too far away, and Taekwoon still mad about the flashlight, it wasn't that simple.  


The water hadn't had a chance to boil– the kettle was electric, after all. Taekwoon couldn't even finish making the tea, and it only irritated him more; he closed the cabinet with so much force it rattled in its hinges. Taekwoon was too irascible. He took a deep breath, trying to quiet himself down, and wondered if there was anything they could use instead of a flashlight, except for a log from the fireplace.  


Before Taekwoon could have come up with something that made more sense, the bell at the front door rang.  


"I'll get it!"  


Taekwoon sighed in relief. It was better for Hakyeon to answer the door when Taekwoon was in bad mood. If it could be called one, as Taekwoon's anger was slowly disappearing, leaving him slightly embarrassed about the outburst. Hakyeon wasn't the only one who could be blamed for them being left in the dark.  


"Hi, Eunsook," Hakyeon said. Taekwoon could swear he felt the cold coming from outside the moment Hakyeon opened the door. "I see we all have the same problem."  


Taekwoon heard Eunsook laughing at that. "Yeah, that's why I'm here."  


"Oh, but we don't have anything–"  


Eunsook stopped Hakyeon. "That's why I'm here!"  


Hakyeon mumbled something Taekwoon couldn't hear, and it made Eunsook laugh again. Taekwoon, curious what exactly was going on, moved slowly out of the kitchen.  


Eunsook was holding – lucky for her – a flashlight, but she was also giving something to Hakyeon. Over her shoulder, on the steps of the house across the street, Taekwoon saw Eunsook's girlfriend, waiting for her. She waved at Taekwoon with her gloved hand when he finally made his way to the front door.  


It was candles that Eunsook had given Hakyeon.  


"Damn, I forgot the matches," Eunsook said, frowning. She was already covered in snow, with a thick layer on her hat and shoulders.  


Taekwoon shook his head. "We have some, thank you," he said.  


Hakyeon turned to where Taekwoon stood. He looked at him meekly, clutching the candles to his chest. Of course, Hakyeon felt bad about the situation. It made Taekwoon even more embarrassed about his behavior earlier.  


Eunsook wished them good luck, and, this time together with Gwiboon, went to the next house.  


They didn't say much before they found the matches by the fireplace. Hakyeon lit the first candle and gave it to Taekwoon; they were the short and thick kind so they didn't need a candlestick.  


Taekwoon felt tense. He wanted to apologize, but he just didn't know what to say, and Hakyeon was busy lighting the other candle–  


With a jolt, the electricity came back. Taekwoon didn't waste time to blow both candles off, and put them over the fireplace.  


"Thank God," Hakyeon breathed. "I wasn't looking forward to moving around the house with a candle in hand."  


Hakyeon didn't sound mad, and the knot inside Taekwoon's stomach untangled.  


"Aren't the candles supposed to be romantic?" Taekwoon asked, stepping closer to Hakyeon.  


Hakyeon snorted. "If you use them on purpose, maybe, but not when–" He broke off when Taekwoon brought him into his arms. "Not when– okay, whatever."  


It came to Taekwoon there was no need for him to say it out loud– that he was sorry. The hug, and the kiss he gave Hakyeon next said it all.  


Hakyeon patted Taekwoon's back. "So easily annoyed," he said with a cheeky grin. "Like a cat."  


As on clue, Pretzel came running, and threw himself onto the puzzles, scattering them all around the floor. Some of them slid under the sofa, and one stopped right between Hakyeon's feet.  


Taekwoon didn't have time to scowl at the quip, instantly trying to stop Pretzel from playing with the puzzles. It would be too easy to lose the pieces like that.  


"Shoo!" Taekwoon chased the cat away.  


"We should have laid it out on the table," Hakyeon said. He knelt on the floor, and tried to take a glimpse under the sofa. "There's a few underneath," he groaned.  


"At least there's light so we can get them out."  


By the time they gathered all of the puzzles – or so they hoped – it got pretty late. As Hakyeon had suggested, they put them on the dining table. After all of the trouble, though, they lost the strength to play with them.  


Hakyeon had enough energy left to try riling Taekwoon up.  


"I want a proper 'I'm sorry', Taekwoonie," Hakyeon said as he lead Taekwoon to their bedroom. He didn't let him put on his pajama when they finished cleaning themselves up.  


Taekwoon got stiff, stopping by the edge of the bed. Was Hakyeon still mad at him?  


"It's not that I'm mad at you," Hakyeon said, dispelling Taekwoon's doubts at once. "But you did get angry without a reason... made me a bit upset." Taekwoon was sure Hakyeon was saying all of it to make him more pliant to his ideas. "I'd hope you do something nice as an apology."  


It looked like the only plan Hakyeon had was to let Taekwoon decide. There were just too many things Taekwoon was willing to do for Hakyeon. Or to Hakyeon.  


An apology meant action, Taekwoon thought.  


Taekwoon brushed Hakyeon's fringe away from his forehead. "Lie down."  


Hakyeon obeyed easily, taking a place right in the middle of the bed, and spreading his legs without shame. Taekwoon had other things in mind, but he decided to indulge Hakyeon for a while. In the end the more aroused Hakyeon got, the easier it was to order him around.  


They kissed unhurriedly; Taekwoon liked to draw things out, and the only move Hakyeon made to rush him now was the light bucking of his hips. It felt good, and even if Taekwoon liked the sex, loved to share the pleasure with Hakyeon, there was something in lying in their bed together, skin to skin, and just kissing. Taekwoon felt safe in Hakyeon's arms, and his hands around Taekwoon's waist had always felt like home.  


Taekwoon moved his lips to Hakyeon's neck, breathing heavily against it. It had started to feel too much suddenly, and Taekwoon's eyes prickled with tears. He just loved Hakyeon so much.  


There was nothing wrong with showing emotions, but Taekwoon had never been able to get rid of the embarrassment he felt when he got like that. It was easier to hide his face, kiss down Hakyeon's neck, and lick at his shoulder. Hakyeon moaned, bucking his hips harder, and it made Taekwoon blink the tears away.  


"Roll over," he whispered into Hakyeon's ear, brushing his lips over the shell. He untangled himself from Hakyeon's embrace to find the lube.  


The bottle was half-used, and he picked a condom too. It was going to be messy enough and he had changed the covers only three days ago.  


Hakyeon was lying face down already, one leg bent at the knee for better access. Taekwoon knew what Hakyeon was expecting. Unfortunately, it wasn't fingers that he was going to feel against his hole. Kissing and biting at the swell of Hakyeon's ass first, Taekwoon soon moved lower, to nibble at his thighs. It was something that Hakyeon usually did to Taekwoon. He wouldn't shut up about Taekwoon's legs and sometimes would fuck his thighs. But if Taekwoon's legs were pretty, as he would repeat over and over again, then Hakyeon's were simply beautiful. To Taekwoon, all of Hakyeon was.  


"Taekwoon–"  


Whatever Hakyeon had had to say was stopped by a whimper, muffled by the pillow, when Taekwoon spread him and licked around his opening. There was the scent of their body wash lingering on Hakyeon skin, and Taekwoon worked his tongue to get rid of it. He wanted to taste Hakyeon and Hakyeon only. He tried to suck at the rim, stick the tip of his tongue inside.  


Hakyeon cursed, his hips shaking with the effort of keeping still; it was easier with Taekwoon's hands on his hips, pressing him down to the mattress. Taekwoon knew that if he let go of him, Hakyeon would rut against the sheets, push himself onto Taekwoon's face. He backed away, panted against Hakyeon's skin, and it made Hakyeon whine.  


"Taekwoon," he gasped. "Taek–"  


Diving in again, Taekwoon licked and sucked again. Blindly, he uncapped the bottle of lube, and squeezed some onto his palm. When he was slicking his fingers up, some of it fell onto Hakyeon's back, and his hips, unrestrained now, jerked up. Taekwoon moved away quickly, slapping Hakyeon on the thigh. The lube on his hand made it sound loud, and obscene. He wiped his hand into the sheets quickly. Hakyeon only laughed.  


Hakyeon's protests did nothing to speed Taekwoon prepping him. He tried to move, get on his knees so he could fuck himself on Taekwoon's fingers, but it wouldn't work.  


"Stay still," Taekwoon scolded him, adding a third finger.  


"Ah, I'm– I'm dying here," Hakyeon whined. "Fuck me already!"  


"Always complaining," Taekwoon mumbled, thrusting the fingers in and out. He knew Hakyeon wouldn't shut up, so he sped up, pushing in as far as he could. Twisting his fingers, he found Hakyeon's prostate, and massaged it until Hakyeon threatened to kick him out of the bed.  


The moment Hakyeon heard the sound of the condom's package tearing, he turned his head to look at Taekwoon.  


"I want to feel you," he protested, pouting. "Apologize properly to your hus–"  


Taekwoon leaned over Hakyeon's body, and pressed a kiss to Hakyeon's lips. The angle was all awkward but it didn't stop Hakyeon from making the kiss dirty. Taekwoon broke it only to push into Hakyeon, settle on top of him, and then they were kissing again.  


The pace was slow; Taekwoon kept rutting his hips, and his legs got tired quickly. It wouldn't be like this if he wasn't supporting most of his weight on his knees. He kept licking at Hakyeon's neck, and the hair on his nape tickled his nose. Moving to Hakyeon's shoulder, he saw him clutching at the sheets with his hand– Hakyeon's knuckles were white from how hard he was holding onto them.  


Trying not to lose the rhythm, Taekwoon moved his arm over Hakyeon's, skidding his fingers over his dark skin, until he reached Hakyeon's hand. Hakyeon understood immediately, entangling his fingers with Taekwoon's. Their wedding rings clunked against each other faintly, and it made Taekwoon's heart jump. There was no chance he would ever get bored of it, of them being together, and with them being so close they could be one.  


Taekwoon's thrusts were firm; soon he knew he was close. He squeezed Hakyeon's hand one last time and moved his hand to wrap his fingers around Hakyeon's cock. There was not enough space between Hakyeon and the bed, but with both of them pushing against each other, Hakyeon's cock was sliding along Taekwoon's fingers on its own. Taekwoon gripped him harder, and spread his legs further. It allowed him go in deeper, and Hakyeon moaned, coming into Taekwoon's fist.  


Hakyeon clenched around Taekwoon, sucking him in, and soon he was coming too. Taekwoon kept rocking against Hakyeon as long as the tremors in his body didn't stop. They were catching their breaths, tired, both covered in sweat that was cooling off on their skin quickly. Taekwoon slid out of Hakyeon, trying to catch his tiny gasp with his mouth, kissing him softly.  


It was hard to roll off Hakyeon and avoid the mess on the sheets. Taekwoon groaned when he landed on it, anyway.  


Hakyeon was grinning when he reached for Taekwoon's hand, reconnecting their fingers. "Apology accepted," he said, looking at Taekwoon from under his sweaty fringe.  


Hakyeon's face was flushed, and so was probably Taekwoon's. There was something Taekwoon had thought about often– how could Hakyeon look so beautiful even right after sex? His cheeks were dark red, the strands of hair sticking to his forehead, and there were droplets of sweat on his skin. It was almost confusing how he looked both cute and hot.  


"I love you." The words stumbled past Taekwoon's lips before he had a chance to think about saying them. Maybe because it was nothing new. Taekwoon always felt the same steady thrum of his heart when he thought about it. He didn't say it often– it made him feel too vulnerable and flustered. The words were bold. And they were made to be said when they meant something. Taekwoon had felt them for the past several years, and that was why he kept trying to say them as often as he could. Sometimes they appeared out of nowhere, his tongue moving before he could stop it. Not that he wanted to. Taekwoon had never regretted saying them to Hakyeon, even if they made him discomposed at times.  


"I love you," he repeated, reaching for Hakyeon, bringing him closer even when Hakyeon grimaced as his hip made contact with the come on the sheets.  


It was easy to bring Hakyeon on top of himself, kiss him, and reach his hand between Hakyeon's legs to touch the lube and come spread over his thighs.  


Hakyeon smiled into the kiss. "How dirty, Taekwoonie," he whispered against his lips.  


"It was you who didn't want to use a condom," Taekwoon replied, not meeting Hakyeon's eyes. The fact that he wanted to spare them the mess, or rather more mess, didn't mean he didn't like it. Hakyeon knew it all too well.  


"Looks like we need to take a shower again," Hakyeon said. Taekwoon's fingers were still skimming over Hakyeon's legs. "And change the sheets."  


Taekwoon tried to pinch Hakyeon's ass but it lacked the impact, his skin too slippery.  


Hakyeon snickered, rolling away. "Come," he said. He stood by the bed, waiting with his hand reached for Taekwoon to take.  


It was obvious where this was going, judging by the glint in Hakyeon's eyes. Taekwoon, with his heart picking a beat, followed.  


 

~*~  


 

In a year, Pretzel grew into a little tiger. He had gone through a rebellion during the summer, disappearing for days. To both Taekwoon's and Hakyeon's relief, he always came back.  


It was getting cold again and before they knew, it was their one year anniversary, and then Halloween. They couldn't go on a honeymoon right after the wedding– they were too bound by their jobs. But year after, after they had settled, they decided to go away for a week.  


There was no chance to leave Pretzel with Hongbin and Wonsik, because of their dog. The dog itself was friendly enough– it was Pretzel they were worried about. The one who rescued them was Sanghyuk.  


"Better the cat than you," he had said when they went to drop Pretzel off. Sanghyuk's mother, and Hakyeon's aunt, wasn't really fond of him. And of any non-heterosexual people, for that matter.  
 

They came back right before Halloween. Hakyeon was upset he hadn't had a chance to prepare a costume this time.  


"It's for the kids, dressing up," Taekwoon scolded him. In his mind, it was more important to feed the little ones candies.  


"We should at least buy something for Pretzel," Hakyeon protested. The costumes were one thing, but they also lacked jack-o'-lanterns. There were pumpkins lied out in front of their house, but just regular ones. They could at least buy a witch hat for the cat.  


"He won't wear it," Taekwoon said as Hakyeon put the tiny hat he had found among Halloween decorations in the supermarket into their cart.  


"Oh, shush," Hakyeon said.  


Taekwoon only sighed, and he was the one that tried to put the hat on Pretzel's head when Sanghyuk brought him back later that day.  


It was a big surprise for Hakyeon that his aunt drove Sanghyuk along with Pretzel all the way to their house. And what was even more surprising, she didn't wait for Sanghyuk to drive him back.  


"I told her you're going to drop me off later," Sanghyuk said. He snatched a couple of candies on his way inside.  


Hakyeon was ready to scold him but he saw Taekwoon smiling, and he stopped himself. Taekwoon definitely had a soft spot for kids, even the bigger ones.  


Hongbin and Wonsik promised to stop by later, for a horror movie marathon. For how much Hakyeon didn't want to take part in it, he wasn't going to protest out loud. Especially in front of Sanghyuk. The kid was fearless, and Hakyeon wouldn't stand his cousin laughing at him because he was scared of some non-existent creatures and ghosts.  


Hakyeon shuddered at the thought. He didn't even want to think about it.  


"Your mother wasn't mad?" he asked when they sat on the sofa. Pretzel was trying to get rid of the hat, meowing grumpily.  


Sanghyuk swallowed the treat. "Not really," he answered, shrugging. "She agrees to anything these days so we won't argue."  


"From what I remember," Hakyeon said, his tone somber, "she was sure you could become gay if you kept spending time with us."  


Sanghyuk laughed. Hakyeon could swear his voice had become even deeper than before. "Yeah," he snorted. "She probably thinks it's too late because of the amount of time I spend with Sungjae."  


It was Taekwoon who asked the next question. "Isn't there a girl in your group of friends?"  


"Namjoo," Sanghyuk said, grinning. "She's already dating someone, though. Mother lost all of her hope, like I'm not barely eighteen."  


"Whoever you choose in the future–"  


"If anyone," Taekwoon interjected.  


"If anyone, exactly," Hakyeon continued, his lips curling into a smile. "It's not going to have anything to do with us."  


Sanghyuk snorted. "If I wasn't trying to avoid drinking alcohol today, I'd take a shot now for how condescending you sound."  


"Oh, not breaking any rules today?"  


Hakyeon wasn't going to fall for the bite when Sanghyuk gibed at his age. He had learned to take any opportunity to turn the tables, and poke at Sanghyuk being a minor. It was a shame it was not going to last forever.  


"Not any that could end up with me at the nearby police station."  


They heard children laughing outside before the bell rang. Hakyeon tailed right after Taekwoon to greet the little crew. The kids – a pirate and a zombie – thanked them politely as they closed their big sacks, richer with new candies.  


Their friends picked that exact moment to park in front of their house.  


"Hey," Hongbin shouted, pointing to the house next to theirs. "Looks like you're going to have new neighbors."  


They followed Hongbin's hand– on the next door's driveway stood a truck with a "moving services" lettering across its trunk.  


Hakyeon got startled when Sanghyuk spoke above his shoulder, and then even more at the words themselves. "To get you into the right mood, let's watch a movie about scary neighbors."  


 

 


End file.
